Scripture Helps

Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–7

Naomi and her family moved from Bethlehem to the land of Moab because of a famine. Naomi’s husband and two sons died in Moab, and Naomi returned to Bethlehem with her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth. In Bethlehem, a man named Boaz married Ruth and provided for both Ruth and Naomi. Ruth and Boaz were ancestors of David and Jesus Christ. Hannah, a righteous Israelite woman, longed to have a child. Her humble prayers were answered, and she was blessed with a son she named Samuel. Hannah kept her promise to dedicate her son to the Lord and brought Samuel to the high priest Eli to serve the Lord in the tabernacle. Samuel received a revelation about the judgments that would come upon Eli and his household because of his sons’ wickedness. As Samuel grew, the Lord continued to speak through him, and the people recognized him as a prophet.

Resources

• Background and Context

• Learn More

• Media

Note: The citation of a source not published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not imply that it or its author is endorsed by the Church or represents the official position of the Church.

Background and Context

What is the book of Ruth?

The book of Ruth describes the history of the family of Naomi and Elimelech, who lived during the time of the judges. It is one of only two books in the Old Testament named after a woman. The book highlights the compassion and love shared by Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth as they navigated the challenges of widowhood.

A central theme in the book of Ruth is redemption. Ruth was a foreigner, childless, and a widow, which left her in complete poverty with no support. Despite her circumstances, she chose to follow Jehovah and become part of His covenant people. Ruth eventually married again, was fully accepted as an Israelite, and was blessed with children. Given this theme of redemption, it is important to note that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of the world, was a direct descendant of Ruth.

Ruth 1:1

Who were the Moabites?

The Moabites were descendants of Lot and his firstborn daughter. The Moabites often clashed with the Israelites in various wars. They worshipped Chemosh, a deity that may have at times been associated with the practice of human sacrifice. The land of Moab was east of the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan.

Ruth 2:1–3

What did it mean to glean a field?

The Lord commanded in the law of Moses that those who owned fields were not to harvest the crops in the edges of their fields. This allowed the poor to harvest these crops, ensuring that they would have something to eat. After the harvest was gathered in, the poor were also allowed to gather the small amount of crops that had been missed or dropped by the harvesters. In biblical times, the act of gathering grain or other produce left by reapers was called “gleaning.”

Ruth Gleaning in the Fields, by Judith Mehr

Ruth 2:17

How much was an ephah of barley?

Boaz showed great kindness to Ruth by instructing his workers to leave behind an extra amount of grain for her to gather. When Ruth returned to Naomi, she brought back about an ephah of barley—approximately 23 liters or about 30 pounds (13.5 kg). This was much more than what most gleaners would typically collect in a day.

Ruth 2:18–20

Why was it significant that Boaz was one of Naomi’s “next kinsmen”?

The phrase “next kinsmen” in the King James Version of the Old Testament comes from the Hebrew word gō’el, which means “redeemer.” In ancient Israel, a redeemer referred to a close relative who had responsibility to rescue family members from debts they could not pay on their own. This included freeing family members from bondage or purchasing family land that might otherwise be confiscated due to unpaid debts.

The book of Ruth uniquely associates the kinsman redeemer with the levirate law of marriage. Under the levirate law, if a husband died childless, it was the duty of the husband’s brother or nearest male relative to marry the widow. When Naomi told Ruth, “[Boaz] is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen,” she was identifying Boaz as one who could redeem them from their destitute condition. Boaz would do this not only by purchasing Elimelech’s land but also by following levirate customs to marry Ruth.

Like Naomi and Ruth, we cannot save ourselves but must rely on our Redeemer Jesus Christ, who has “purchased [us] with his own blood.” Elder D. Todd Christofferson explained: “Among the most significant of Jesus Christ’s descriptive titles is Redeemer. … The word redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom. … Each of these meanings suggests different facets of the great Redemption accomplished by Jesus Christ through His Atonement.” Through His atoning sacrifice, Jesus Christ pays our spiritual debts, rescues us from sin and death, and offers us an eternal inheritance.

Ruth 3:1–2

What was a threshing floor?

After the harvest, workers gathered on a raised, circular parcel of ground known as the threshing floor. Here they separated the seeds of grain from the husks that encased them—called chaff. This was often done in the evening, when strong breezes could carry away the chaff. Threshing was a time of celebration, marking the end of the growing season and harvest. The owner of the field would often stay on the threshing floor overnight to protect the harvest from thieves.

Ruth 3:1–9

Why did Naomi instruct Ruth to lay at the feet of Boaz?

After Naomi learned of Boaz’s kindness toward Ruth and recognized him as a potential redeemer, Naomi encouraged Ruth to seek marriage from him. Following Naomi’s instructions, Ruth lay at the feet of Boaz while he was sleeping on the threshing floor. The King James Version of the Old Testament records Ruth’s request to Boaz as, “Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” A more literal translation would be, “Spread thy wing over thy handmaid, for thou art a redeemer.” In making this request, Ruth was essentially asking Boaz to marry her so he could take her under his protection and provide for her.

Ruth 4:1–8

Why did the nearest kinsman decline to marry Ruth?

Naomi’s nearest kinsman initially agreed to redeem Elimelech’s land, but he changed his mind when he learned that he would also be expected to marry Ruth. He was concerned that exercising his right of redemption would “mar [his] own inheritance.” This concern suggests that he did not want the land he purchased to be inherited by Ruth’s future sons instead of members of his own family.

What is the book of 1 Samuel?

The book of 1 Samuel recounts the ministry of the prophet Samuel, the last of the Israelite judges. During the era of the judges, many Israelites forgot the Lord and turned to idolatry. The book of 1 Samuel describes Samuel’s efforts to reestablish regular worship of Jehovah. It also describes Israel’s difficult transition from judges to kings. Under the Lord’s direction, Samuel called and anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel and David to become a future king of Israel.

1 Samuel 1:9–11

Why did Hannah promise that no razor would come upon her son’s head?

Hannah made a vow that if the Lord blessed her with a son, she would “give him unto the Lord all the days of his life.” This vow, along with her promise that no razor would touch her son’s head, indicates that Samuel was raised as a Nazarite and set apart for service to God. Nazarites were people who made a special vow of dedication to God for a period of time. During this time, Nazarites promised not to cut their hair, drink wine, or touch any dead thing.

For This Child I Prayed, by Elspeth Young

1 Samuel 2:12–17, 22–25

Who were the “sons of Belial”?

The phrase “sons of Belial” is used throughout the King James Version of the Old Testament to describe people who rebelled against the Lord’s teachings and social norms. Eli’s sons were given this label because of their sinful actions while serving as priests in the tabernacle. Their offenses included taking meat from the animal sacrifices and engaging in immoral acts with the women who came to worship at the tabernacle.

1 Samuel 3:1

What does it mean that “the word of the Lord was precious”?

The word precious as used in the King James Version of the Old Testament means “rare.” President Harold B. Lee taught that during this period in Israel’s history, “there was no prophet upon the earth through whom the Lord could reveal his will, either by personal experience, or by revelation.” This time of no revelation ended when the Lord spoke to Samuel, who eventually was recognized by all of Israel as a prophet of the Lord.

Boy Samuel Called by the Lord, by Harry Anderson

1 Samuel 4

Why did the Israelites bring the ark of the covenant with them into battle?

The ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord. It was normally kept in the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle. During their conquest of the promised land, the Israelites carried the ark with them as a symbol and reminder that God was with them.

The elders of the Israelites assumed that the ark would help them win their battle against the Philistines. The phrase “it may save us” in verse 3 suggests that the Israelites might have placed their faith in the ark rather than in the Lord. Their wickedness prevented them from receiving the Lord’s strength and protection. Because the Lord was not with them, the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, Eli’s sons were killed, and the ark was captured. When Eli learned of his sons’ deaths and the capture of the ark, he was so overcome with grief that he fell from his seat and died. These events fulfilled Samuel’s prophecy that Eli’s family would meet a tragic end.

1 Samuel 5–6

What did the Philistines do with the ark of the covenant?

Dagon was one of the gods the Philistines worshipped. The Philistines believed that Dagon had given them victory over Jehovah and the Israelites. They brought the ark of the covenant into Dagon’s temple and placed it at the feet of Dagon’s statue as a war trophy. On the second morning, the Philistines discovered that the statue of Dagon had fallen face down before the ark, with its head and the palms of its hands broken off. The Lord then sent a plague of emerods (possibly tumors or boils) and mice upon the Philistines, which ceased only when the ark was returned to the Israelites. These events demonstrated Jehovah’s superiority over Dagon.

1 Samuel 7:7–12

Why did Samuel call a stone “Eben-ezer”?

After the Israelites defeated the Philistines, Samuel set up a stone he called “Eben-ezer” as a monument to remember the Lord. The Hebrew meaning of ebenezer is “the stone of help.”

1 Samuel 7:9–11

What authority did Samuel have?

Although the Lord mostly withheld the Melchizedek Priesthood from the Israelites when He instituted the law of Moses, it was not entirely removed from the earth. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that “all the prophets had the Melchizedek Priesthood.” This would presumably include Samuel, who was recognized by all of Israel as a prophet of the Lord. Because Samuel held the Melchizedek Priesthood, he was authorized to offer sacrifices and perform other duties that were typically reserved for Levite priests.

Learn More

Threshing floor

• “The Threshing Floor,” Ensign, Sept. 2017, 70–71

Redemption

• Kristin M. Yee, “The Joy of Our Redemption,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 57–60

Ruth and Hannah

• Elaine S. Dalton, “Lessons from the Old Testament: Lessons from Ruth and Hannah,” Ensign, Apr. 2006, 34–37

Listening to the Lord’s voice

• Walter F. González, “Listening as Samuel Listened,” Ensign, Aug. 2010, 38–41

Media

Videos

Music

• “Redeemer of Israel,” Hymns, no. 6

• “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” Hymns—For Home and Church, no. 1001

Images

Steadfastly Minded, by Eva Timothy

Ruth, by Dilleen Marsh

Hannah Praying, by Paul Mann

Hannah and Samuel, by Michael Parker

Hannah Presenting Her Son Samuel to Eli, by Robert T. Barrett

Jehovah Calls Samuel, by Sam Lawlor

Notes

1. The book of Esther is the other Old Testament book named after a woman.

2. To learn more about the theme of redemption in the book of Ruth, see “Ruth 2:18–20. Why was it significant that Boaz was one of Naomi’s ‘next kinsmen’?”

3. See Matthew 1:5–16.

4. See Genesis 19:36–37.

5. See Bible Dictionary, “Moab.”

6. See 2 Kings 3:26–27. See also Bible Dictionary, “Chemosh.”

7. See Leviticus 19:9–10.

8. See Deuteronomy 24:19–22.

9. See Ruth 2:15–17.

10. See Bible Dictionary, “Weights and measures.” See also Kerry Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” in The Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament, ed. D. Kelly Ogden and others (2009), 197; Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, eds., The Jewish Study Bible, 2nd ed. (2014), 1577, note on Ruth 2:17.

11. See Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words (2023), entry 1350, page 944.

12. See Exodus 21:7–8; Leviticus 25:25, 47–55. See also Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” 191–92; Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, “Redeem,” 654.

13. See Deuteronomy 25:5–10; Bible Dictionary, “Levirate marriage.” See also “Genesis 38:6–30. What do we understand about what took place between Judah and Tamar?”

14. Ruth 2:20.

15. See Ruth 4:1–13. See also Richard Neitzel Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament: An Illustrated Reference for Latter-day Saints (2009), 187.

16. Acts 20:28.

17. D. Todd Christofferson, “Redemption,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 109.

18. See 1 Corinthians 15:20–22; Hebrews 9:15; 2 Nephi 2:6–9; Mosiah 15:1–9.

19. See Berlin and Brettler, The Jewish Study Bible, 1577, note on Ruth 3:2.

20. See Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” 198.

21. See Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” 198–99.

22. Ruth 3:9.

23. Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” 200; emphasis added.

24. See Ruth 3:1, footnote a; see also “Ruth 2:18–20. Why was it significant that Boaz was one of Naomi’s ‘next kinsmen’?” Ruth’s words echoed the words of Boaz from their initial meeting. In that conversation, Boaz said, “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust” (Ruth 2:12). Ruth may have been implying that Jehovah would spread His protective wing over her when Boaz spread his wing over her by marrying her (see Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 187; Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” 200).

25. Ruth 4:6.

26. See Muhlestein, “Ruth, Redemption, Covenant, and Christ,” 202.

27. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally one book in the Hebrew Bible. They were likely divided into two books when the Bible was translated into Greek (see Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 190).

28. See Judges 17:6; 21:25.

29. See Bible Dictionary, “Samuel.”

30. 1 Samuel 1:11.

31. See Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 192–93.

32. Bible Dictionary, “Nazarite.” See also “Judges 13:2–5. What was a Nazarite?”

33. See Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 182. The word belial means “worthless” or “wicked” (see Bible Dictionary, “Belial”).

34. See 1 Samuel 2:13–17, 22. See also Paulo R. Grahl, “Eli and His Sons,” Ensign, June 2002, 18.

35. See Longman and Strauss, The Baker Expository Dictionary, entry 3368, page 967.

36. Harold B. Lee, “But Arise and Stand upon Thy Feet”—and I Will Speak with Thee, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year (Feb. 7, 1956), 2.

37. See 1 Samuel 3:19–21.

38. See Bible Dictionary, “Ark of the Covenant.”

39. See Joshua 3:14–17; 6:12–16; “Joshua 6:1–5. What might Israel have learned from the Lord’s unique instructions for conquering Jericho?”

40. See 1 Samuel 7:2–3.

41. See 1 Samuel 2:27–36.

42. See Bible Dictionary, “Dagon.”

43. See 1 Samuel 5:3–4.

44. See 1 Samuel 5:6, footnote a. See also Holzapfel and others, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament, 195.

45. 1 Samuel 7:12.

46. See 1 Samuel 7:12, footnote b.

47. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 109.

48. See 1 Samuel 3:19–21. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “The withdrawal of the higher priesthood was from the people as a body, but the Lord still left among them men holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, with power to officiate in all its ordinances, so far as he determined that these ordinances should be granted unto the people. Therefore Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Elijah, and others of the prophets held the Melchizedek Priesthood” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie [1956], 3:85).

49. The Old Testament records instances of people from other tribes being authorized by the Lord to offer sacrifices. Examples include Joshua from the tribe of Ephraim (see Numbers 13:8; Joshua 8:30–31); Gideon from the tribe of Manasseh (see Judges 6:15, 25–28); and David from the tribe of Judah (see 2 Samuel 6:17–18; 24:25; Matthew 1:1–6). Samuel’s lineage is unclear; he and his father, Elkanah, are listed in the Levite genealogy recorded in 1 Chronicles 6:27–28.